Suction device for paper-making machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

H. FAIRBANKS & H. PARKER. SUCTION DEVICE FOR PAPER MAKING MAGHINES.

No. 545,788. Patented Sept. 3, 1895.

Witnesses, Inventors,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

H. FAIRBANKS & H. PARKER. SUCTION DEVICE FOR PAPER MAKING MAGHINES.

No. 545,788. Patented Sept. 3,1895.

Witnesses, Inventors,

HENRY E IRBANKs AND HOWARD PARKER, OF sT. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT, ASSIGNORSTO THE VACUUM WET MAOHINE COMPANY, OE VERMONT.

SUCTION DEVICE FOR PA E KING MACHINES.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,788, datedSeptember 3, 1895. Application filed January 28, 1895. Serial No-536,396. (No model) To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY FAIRBANKs and HOWARD 'PARKER, of St.Johnsbury, in

the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Suction Devices for Paper- MakingMachines, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification.

'ro In paper and pulp machines where the. layer of wet pulp is carriedupon an endless apron of wire-cloth or felt it is customary to have thismoving apron, which is loaded with the pulp layer, slide over theperforated or open top of narrow boxes partially exhausted of air forthe purpose of drawing some of the Water from the pulp and leaving lessto be pressed out in the further treatment. The atmospheric pressureupon the apron makes it drag heavily over these suction-boxes, and it isthereby subjected to very severe strain and wear. To avoid this rotarysuction-boxes have been tried; but theapron moving over these is incontact with only a 2 5 very small part of the cylindrical surface, and

they have not proved efficient, and closed suction-boxes with fiattraveling tops sometimes proposed have not come into use.

Our invention consists in providing a series 0 of suction-boxes, each aslong as the apron is wide, driven by power moving with the apron,together forming a large fiat exhausted surface on which the apronrests, and upon which the weight of the atmosphere may press 3 5 itwithout causing any wear or strain, since all sliding friction isavoided. Moving with the apron as far as required they then drop awayfrom it and return underneath to their starting-point. These boxes arepreferably 40 semicylindrical with closed ends, and having the fiat topin the plane of the diameter of the semicylinde'r formedof perforatedsheet metal. These boxes are attached at the ends to the links of twoendless chains carried by 5 properly-formed sprocket-wheels, which linksalso carry rollers by which the boxes while in contact with the apronabove are supported and ride upon tracks, returning underneath the same.Each box is connected by a flexible hose-pipe with one of a series ofholes through a rotary disk, which has as many holes as there aresuction-boxes, and in the rotation of the disk these holes register theapron above them are brought into internal communication with a strongair-pump. A series of gear-wheels give equal motion to thesprocket-wheels at the two sides of the machine and also to the rotarydisk in the middle, which is speeded so as to make its rotation agreewith the revolution of the whole series of suction-boxes and so keep theflexibl'e hose-pipes from crossin a In the drawings, Figure 1 shows in aside 6 elevation the relation of the boxes, the links supporting them,the rollers and the sprocket wheels carrying them. Fig. 2 shows inperspective the principal parts of the suction devices, the sides beingremoved. Fig.3 shows in a side elevation the boxes, the rotary disk, andthe flexible hose connections between them. Fig. 4 shows the same inperspective for a single box. Fig. 5 sketches in side elevation thearrangementof two similar series 7 of such boxes placed so that the pulpresting over the edges of the boxes of one series shall be over themiddle of those of the other series, a leveling or dandy roll beingapplied to the surface of the pulp as it passes from one '80 series tothe other. i

In all the figures similar letters of reference are used to designatesimilar parts.

For the semicylindrical boxes closed at the ends '5 is used, andm fortheir perforated tops. Each end of each box is. attached to a link Z,and at each joint of these links is a roller 0' on the inner side of theendless chain and on the outer side a projection or short stud fittingthe forksff of the sprocket-wheels e. 0 The sprocket-wheel e andgear-wheel'a are upon a short arbor, as are thecorresponding wheels uponthe other side ofthe machine, and there is no shaft connecting themacross the machine through the center, where the space must be leftclear for the movement of the flexible hose. The gear-wheels at the twosides of the machine are connected across by the shaft 0' of thegear-wheels o 0 or that of the wheel d, and the speed of the wheel a isICO reduced through the wheels 5 and c to d, which moves slower inproportion as the num- 'the boxes of the left-hand group at '16.

ber of suction-boxes in the wholeseries is greater than the number offorks f f in the sprocket-wheel ethat is, slower in proportion as therevolution of the whole series of boxes is slower than the rotation ofthe wheel a.

Motion is communicated to the whole series of gear-Wheels by aconnecting-wheel, (not shown,) which, being properly geared, causes thesurface of the boxes to move at the same speed as the apron which restsupon them and relieves this apron from the strain incident to carryingthem.

The rollers r r, carrying the endless chains to which the boxes areattached,-roll upon and are supported by the tracks q g, which are levelacross the top, but bend down at the ends, so that when a box begins toturn down, as at h, in the movement indicated by the arrow 19, therising edge is not thrown above the level of the apron.

The flexible hose-pipes k are made of material that will not collapseunder atmospheric side is in practically air-tight connection with thestationary plate 10, carrying the small arc-shaped air-chamber 12, whichfits the disk= jand brings a certain number of the openings n "rt nearthe edge of that disk into communication with the exhaust-pipe s,leading: to the air-pump or other strong exhauster. In this manner apredetermined number of.

the boxes in the middle of the top of the series and in contact with theapron are subjected to the strong exhaust-current. The boxes when movingin contact with the apron are close together, their edges formed withstrips of elastic material meet each other, and the exhaust action uponthe pulp on the belt resting upon them is practically continuous.

through the series; but if it proves to be less at the lines where theboxes meet, the machine may be speeded so that the boxes will travel alittle faster than the apron, helping in its movement and providing thatno part of the pulp shall miss the full action of the exhaust. Thisequalizing of exhaust action will be effected still more completely byproviding two series of suction-boxes arranged, as shown in Fig. 5,where the pulp that has been over the middle of each box of theright-hand series, as at u, will come over the meeting edges of In casethe pulp-carrying apron moves uniformly with the boxes and there is buta single series of these, coarse perforations in their fiat tops willgive corresponding water-marks in'the paper, and these may be arrangedto form any desired figures; but fine uniform perforations or wire-clothover the perforated sheets will give uniform paper. The dandyroll 2,between the two series or at the end of one will help to lay the surfaceof the paper.

To adapt the device to use upon paper narrower than the full width ofthe apron each box' is provided with sliding heads controlled by a longscrew having a right-hand thread at one end and a'left-hand one at theother in the manner common in suction-boxes, which, being common,requires no illustration.

Having described what we consider the best wayof carrying out ourinvention, it will be apparent that the details of this machine may bemuch varied without altogether destroying its efficiency. The shape ofthe traveling suction-boxes, and the method of mounting and propellingthem may be different. The gearing need not be the same, and theconnection with the exhaust may be otherwise arranged. By forming theboxes with suitable valveseats they might be made to register directlywith a properly-shaped opening in an exhaustchamber without theintervention of the flexible hose-pipes and rotary disk. Such a series 1might be carried by the traveling apron and the gearing dispensed with;but a mechanic will easily see the advantages of the full plan which wehave adopted.

Having thus set forth our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a paper or pulp machine, the combi-- nation of an endless apron,adapted to carry wet pulp, with a series of traveling suction boxes,successively carried beneath, and in working contact under said apron,and with means for exhausting the same, substantially as and for thepurpose herein specified.

2. In a paper or pulp machine, the combi-- nation of an endless apronadapted to carry wet pulp, with partially exhausted traveling suctionboxes carried successively beneath and in supporting contact under saidapron, and with the endless chains connecting them in series, and thetracks upon which they ride, directing their motion as herein described.

3. In a paper or pulp machine, the combination of an endless apronadapted to carry wet pulp, with partially exhausted traveling suctionboxes carried successively beneath and in working contact under saidapron, and with the endless chains connecting them in series, and thesprocket wheels and gear connections whereby they are carried forwardwith the same movement as the apron resting upon them, substantially asand for the pur pose specified.

4. In a paper or pulp machine, the combi+ nation of an endless apronadapted to carry wet pulp, a series of open top boxes, means for movingthem beneath and in contact with said apron, the exhaust chamber 1),communicating with said boxes, and the exhaust conduit s, as hereinfully described.

5. In a paper or pulp machine, the combination of the endless apron y,adapted to carry wetpulp upon one side, with the suction boxes 2', t',in working contact with the other side of the said apron, the flexiblehose pipes k, 75, the disk j, on a shaft geared to move with the seriesof boxes, the exhaust chamber 17, with which the flexible hose from theboxes com- 'municates, and the exhaust conduit s,al1 conjoint actionsubstantially as and for the purstructed and arranged, substantially-asset pose herein described. forth. In testimony whereof .we have signedour I5 6. In a paper or pulp machine, the combinames to thisspecification,in the presence of 5 nation of the endless apron y,adapted to carry two subscribing witnesses, on this 23d day of wet pulp,with the open top boxes '5, 2', upon January, A. D. 1895. p which thisapron rests, the flexible hose pipes v 7t, 7t, connecting these boxes tothe openings HENRY FAIRBANKS.

at, n, of the disk j, and the exhaust chamber HOWARD PARKER. I0 12, andwith the supporting track q, the links WVitnesses:

Z, Z, the sprocket wheel e, and the gear wheels O. H. HORTON,

a, b, c, and cl, constructed and arranged for ALBERT L. FARWELL.

